"Sen. Paul is a national public figure and subject to scrutiny in the public arena; however, as many parents with teenagers would understand, his family should be afforded the privacy and respect they deserve in a situation such as this," the statement said.

Rand Paul, the son of recently retired Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), had his own legal showdown at an airport last January, when he was reportedly detained by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers for refusing to undergo a pat-down.

TSA said it followed its normal procedure with the Kentucky senator, who has often been sharply critical of the agency's policies.